1996 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Each year Togni releases about 100 cases of a 10-year old Cabernet. This year, the 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is being re-released. It is a fabulous example of Togni’s visionary winemaking style. This inky/ruby/purple-tinged wine still tastes like a young adolescent. The extraordinary aromatics offer up scents of smoke, spices, sweet blackberries and cassis, saddle leather, and pain grille. With fabulous texture and sweet tannin, this remarkably young wine is a profound example of mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that should last for another two decades or more. Previously recommended: 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (95), 2000 Ca Togni (94). Tel. (707) 963-3731; Fax (707) 963-9186

(120 cases will be released in the fall of 2006, ten years after the harvest) Medium red-ruby color with some amber at the rim. Sexy, mellow aromas of plum, mocha, truffle and smoked meat. Sweet, plummy and lush but with good shape and freshness. A very harmonious cabernet that seemed to grow fresher in the glass. Offers an inviting combination of primary, secondary and tertiary flavors and finishes with lovely persistence. Togni says this was a big wine from the beginning, but today it's characterized more by its balance.

Each year Togni releases about 100 cases of a 10-year old Cabernet. This year, the 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is being re-released. It is a fabulous example of Togni’s visionary winemaking style. This inky/ruby/purple-tinged wine still tastes like a young adolescent. The extraordinary aromatics offer up scents of smoke, spices, sweet blackberries and cassis, saddle leather, and pain grille. With fabulous texture and sweet tannin, this remarkably young wine is a profound example of mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that should last for another two decades or more. Dec 2006, www.robertparker.com